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The Herald-Tribune had a surprisingly good story in yesterday about the ban on yard parking in Gillespie Park that was passed by the City Commission. A group of residents in that neighborhood had been complaining about cars parked on front lawns, saying that it was a blight on their neighborhood.

I was at the city planning board meeting a few weeks ago, when board members heard testimony from various residents. Sadly, all the residents testifying against yard parking were white, and all those defending it were black or Hispanic residents with large families. It seems to be a battle between one group’s aesthetic sensibility and another group’s desire to function comfortably. Team Pretty Sidewalks won, and a bunch of drivers will have to find something to do with their cars.

Here’s a quote from the one dissenting commissioner, who ultimately didn’t cast a vote: “Every one of these people that came up here supporting this idea is in this one little group, and they have constantly been badgering this City Commission how best to make the neighborhood better so the rest can leave.”

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